‘Designed To Be Fair’: NTA Defends Rs 200 Fee On Answer Key Amid ‘Expensive’ Criticism

Last Updated:August 21, 2026, 01:55 IST

Responding to concerns over the fee, the NTA said a valid challenge can benefit every candidate who appeared for the exam.

News18

The National Testing Agency (NTA) on Thursday night defended its Rs 200 fee for challenging an answer key, saying the system is “designed to be fair” to all students. The agency also rejected concerns that the charge is “too expensive”.

The NTA’s answer key challenge process allows candidates appearing for exams such as JEE Main, NEET and UGC-NET to raise objections to questions or answers in the provisional answer key.

How The Answer Key Challenge Works?

Responding to concerns over the fee, the NTA said a valid challenge can benefit every candidate who appeared for the exam. If a candidate challenges a question and subject experts accept the objection, the revised answer key is applied to all candidates.

“One challenge, everyone benefits. If even a single candidate challenges a question, and the subject experts accept the challenge, the revised answer key applies to every candidate who wrote the exam,” the NTA said in a post on X on Thursday night.

The agency also said the Rs 200 fee is refunded if the challenge is found to be correct. It said the charge is meant to discourage frivolous objections rather than make money from genuine challenges.

“The ₹200/question is refunded to the candidate whose challenge is upheld. The fee exists to discourage frivolous challenges, not to profit from genuine ones,” the NTA said.

The agency said candidates who identify a genuine error should raise an objection, as a successful challenge can correct the answer key for “lakhs of others”.

“So if you have identified a genuine error and raised it, if found correct will not only be refunded but one accurate challenge from any candidate can correct the record for lakhs of others,” it added.

The clarification comes as the NTA faces scrutiny over several examination-related issues, including the NEET-UG paper leak controversy and errors reported in UGC-NET examinations.

Key Questions Answered

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Will the NTA reconsider its answer key challenge fee structure?

The National Testing Agency (NTA) has defended its ₹200 fee for challenging an answer key, stating that the system is designed to be fair and that the fee is refunded if the challenge is upheld. The NTA has not indicated any plans to reconsider its fee structure.

How does the NTA ensure fairness in its challenge process?

The National Testing Agency (NTA) ensures fairness in its challenge process by refunding the Rs 200 fee if a challenge is found to be correct. This fee is intended to discourage frivolous objections rather than to generate revenue. Additionally, if a single valid challenge is accepted by subject experts, the revised answer key applies to all candidates who took the exam.

What impact will this fee have on students from lower income groups?

The National Testing Agency (NTA) has defended the Rs 200 fee for challenging an answer key, stating that the system is designed to be fair to all students and that the fee is refunded if the challenge is upheld. The NTA also mentioned that the charge is intended to discourage frivolous objections rather than to generate revenue.

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